Conductor clamp



Dec. 5, 1933. K. A. HAWLEY 1,937,517

CONDUCTOR CLAMP Original Filed June 17, 1927 3mm Hot Patented Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 35] 1,937,517 CONDUCTOR CLAMP Kent A. Hawley, Baltimore, assignor to Locke Insulator Corporation, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Original application June 17, 1927, Serial No. 199,512. Divided and this application December23, 1927, Serial No. 242,168. Renewed Sop:

tember 25, 1931 '1 Claims; (01. 248-31) In transmission line practice it is customary to provide conductor clamps which are pivoted with respect to the insulator string from which the conductor is suspended. The pivot point of the clamp'is generally several inches from the suspension device and the result is that when the clamp moves in accordance with vibrations of the conductor the clamp must move longitudinally as well as pivotally. As such clamps are necessarily of fairly heavy construction so as to withstand the service strains they have considerable inertia and will not follow the vibrations of the conductor. It consequently occurs that the conductor may bend more or less sharply at the edge of the clamp, resulting in crystallization and eventual breaking of the conductor. strands. It therefore becomes a matter of importance toreduce the inertia sothat the clamp may respond instantly and accurately to the vibrations which are always present in the transmission line.

Itiswith the above facts in view that I .have designed the present invention which has for its 30' principal object the provision of a clamp so constructed and having such a pivotal mounting that it will offer the minimum resistance to the conductor vibrations, that is to say the inertia will be reduced so that the clamp may follow the vibrations without lagging and causing bending strains in the conductor to be set up.

The object of the invention, more specifically stated, is to provide a clamp pivoted on an axis transverse to and intersecting the longitudinal axis of the conductor whereby necessary movement in a vertical plane will be permitted without changing the location of the center of mass of the clamp and without any change in the position of the supporting parts above it.

Still another object of the invention is to 'pro-' the conductor during the vibrations. thereof and also regardless of the inevitable weaving of the pole or equivalent support. .lg 3

A further object is to provide a clamp having a novel arrangement ofpivot meansand" a novel mounting therefor on the suspension means whereby assembly,v or disassembly, maybe effected quicklyand easilyJ 7 An additional object is to provide, a clamp of thischaracter which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, positive inaction, efiicient and durable in service, mentintheart.

To the attainment of the foregoing and'other objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination. of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed;- and illustrated in the accompanying drawing inwhichz Y Figure '1 is a side elevation of the structed as a suspension clamp,

and a general improvee device con- Figure 2 is' a plan view thereof showing it ar-Q ranged for pivotal mounting'upon a poleor other W V" --j 0 Figure 3 is'an end elevation of the device} support, and l mounted upon the pole and with: the; conductor in cross section.

or cable 25 and'which are concaved or'grooved in the 'usual manner'for substantially conforming engagementtherewithggthe'end portionsof the grooves flaring outwardly away from the conductor to provide what may be called bell mouths.

The lower clamping member 23 is representedjas provided with laterally extending apertured lugs or ears 26 for the passage of the =U -bolts 27 which arelocated upon seats 28 defined betweenpairs of transverse ribs 29 on the upper clamping member23. The central portion of the upper clamp ing member maybe reinforced by a longitudinally extending rib or web 30. Of course the U-bolts 27 carry nuts 31 to provide the securing action; Itis preferable that the lower clamping mem ber'23 have its intermediate or central portion upwardly extended and that the upper clamping member be similarly shaped, thus making the conductor receiving groove or passage of serpentine form as clearly illustrated in Figure 1 for. the purpose of avoiding the pivot bolt 32 which passes through a suitable opening 33' in the lower clamp-L ing member, this opening, having its axis interreason "that theeonductor receiving groove passage is made serpentine in shape.

secting the longitudinal axis of the conductor and located at right angles thereto. Obviously, the conductor must be warped or sprung out of its longitudinal linev as indicated as otherwise it would interfere with the bolt and it is for this or It is readily conceivable that the clamp when ent application of which this case is a division, andin such'event the through'bolt 32 would pass through suitable openings such "as those indicated at 21 in Figure 1. However, there'is another use for this form of clamp, namely its employment r as a means for securing a ground conductor fupfon the top portion of a pole or'the like indicated at 34; Mounted in this manner, the bolt 32jwould be carried, for instance, by a curved plate seg cured to the polein some suitable manner, nuts 36be'ing threaded onto the boltat oppositesides ofltl'fe clainpior maintaining the latter inproper 1 position for pivotal movement without. danger of its 'contactin'g the pole; Inotlier words the clamp isint'en-ded to be spaced away from the pole to a sufii'cient extent that it may have thenecessary free pivotal-movement.

In the use of thisclamp, it is of course apparent that it is engaged with the conductor by disposi-ngth'e members 23 and 24:1'1'pon opposite sides thereof, insertingthe U.:-bolts 27 through the ap-- erturedxearsrorelugsflfi and then applying the nuts 31 and drawing them down to 'eii'ect the necessary clamping action upon the conductor.. In

case the device is used as a suspension clamp;

the links 216' 'ai'eused-a'ndthe connection therevrith made :by :means of the bolt 32,-.and -ifth e clampfis used in mounted .position upon @a'pole I the b'olt attached to the curved plate -is ipas'sed through the clamp. In either event thearrangement is;suchethatapivotal aotionwill occur freely 'so as to permit theclamp tolaccommodate itself to e Vibratory "or". iotlierf unavoidable incidental movement's 0f ,the c'onductor fwithout exerting any bending strains thereon which might re- I sult in crystallizationgand eventual separation of theifibers thereof possibly as the result of molecular friction. .7 From the foregoing description, and a study of thedrawing it will be apparent thatlhavethus provided a simply constructed and inexpensive clamp which may be :quickly and, easily assem' bledfordisassembled and which will in every way possess the P advantages and perform the functionsrabove outlined; Experience :has demonstrated that 'a conductor mounted by means of olamp'sof thischaracterwfll possess unusual durability onyaccount of theabsence of bending strains. 7

,Whilel have shown and described the preferred embodiment of 'theinvention, it should beunderstood; that the disclosure is merely an exemplificationof, the principlesinvolved as the right is reserved, to make all such changes in the details ofjconstruction as will widen the fieldof utility aud -increase the adaptability {of the device provided such changes, constitute no 'departure'from t e spirit of the invention or the scope of the claimshereunto appended. 7

Having thus described; the invention, I :claim: 1. In a clamping device hi the character ofe scribed, upper' and'lower clamp g embers eaposableat opposite sides of and for fimaintaining said clamping members in seat portions at right angles, the clamping meme posab'le fat'foppo'site sides of a conductor, means for maintaining said clamping members having seat portions fofia ingiaiined' seat portions engageable Witha conductor, means .ductor out of obstructing relation to the bolt. constructed'in this manner may be connected with suspension links '16 as illustrated in theJpar- '2'. In a device of the character described, a pair or clamping members disposable at opposite sides with a transverse opening, means located at opposits-sides of the "opening for maintaining the clamping members in clamping relation to the con'duct'enand a pivot bolt passing through said opening; the axisof the opening and pivot bolt interseeting the longitudinal axis of the mating bers having means thereon i or maintaining 'the intermediate clamped portion of the con'dnctor in a position curved-away from the 'pivo't bolt to "avoid obstruction therewith.

' 3. In ea clamping device of the character "-de-ioo scribed, upper and Ilower clamping membersfdisposable upon opposite sides of a 'co'n'duotor and hav-ingthei-r confronting tacesigroovedior suboi serpentine form whereby the conductor will occupy a .7 position said boltp I v v a a. In a' 'clam'ping device of the characterde scribed, upperand' lower"olamping members fdiS- posable upon opposite sides 'of a c(inductor. "and having their confronting faces grooved for :substantially coniorming engagement with the nonductor, the end-portions! of thetgrooves being straight, means for mounting the clamping device including a bolt passing transversely through thel'ower clamping member and having 1 25 its intersecting and at substantially r i'g'ht angles-to the'longitudinal -axis 'of thefgrooves' at the ends of the clamp, the/confronting grooved faces er the intermediatef portions of the upper andilowerelamping members being of serpentine 130 :out of obstructing relation to form whereby the-conductor will occupy a positionout of obstructing rel'ation to said bolt,' the lower --clamping member having "laterally extending apertured ears, the upper c'lampirrg ni'ember having"spacedg se'ats thereon ppposite s'aiii ears, 1-35 and clamping bolts engaging the seats, passing through the ears and "carrying :seeuringnuts. 5. In aelamping e'e e of the character i described, upper and low, amping members di'ssaid clampnig members clamping -i'elatio'n" to the conductor, pivot' 'means for the lower clamping'merribei' having its axis intersecting. the' normal axis of the conductor,

set with respect to the axis'nf thepivojt means.

" Ia Clamping 'olevice oif vthe character"'described, upper andxlo'wer clamping meniber s disposable at opposite sides of iaconductor, means I for maintaining said'clampin'g members in clamp- 1'50 for maintaining said clamping members in clamping relation to the conductor, pivot means located between said maintaining means for supporting the assembled clamping members, said pivot means being located with its axis at right angles to and in intersecting relation to the normal longitudinal axis of the conductor beyond the ends of the clamping device but out of intersecting relation thereto within the confines of the clamping device.-

.YKENT A. HAWLEY. 

